"The Port Authority of Cartagena is strongly committed to respecting the environment as shown by the different projects in which it is involved and the constant concern to comply with all the environmental regulations. Our objective is to include environmental considerations in all the Planning, Operation and Management procedures developed in the Port of Cartagena.

The Port Authority of Cartagena has established an Environmental Management System, which was certified on 2 September 2004 by Lloyd's Register Quality Assurance, according to the UNE EN ISO 14001:1996 Regulation. This Environmental Management System is applicable to: "Administration, management and control of the services and infrastructures of the Port of Cartagena, in accordance with the current laws of the state-owned Spanish Port System".

During the last monitoring audit, carried out on 7 March 2006 by Lloyd's Register Quality Assurance, the adaptation of the System to the new 14.001/2004 Regulation was successfully evaluated.

This system fosters the collaboration and communication among all the Port Community members through the Environment Committee, whose priority is to reconcile the development of the port activity with respect for the environment.

Policy in PDF (645 KB).

The main environmental objectives that are currently being developed in the Port of Cartagena are:

• Improvement of sewage and drainage system of the Cartagena and Escombreras Basins , aimed at correcting the deficit in the sewer network currently present in the mentioned basins. Elimination of septic tanks. Legal adaptation of the existing ones.
• Monitoring and control of the inmision levels in the Solid Bulk Terminal as a result of the port operations. These operations are controlled in order to be able to relate them to the meteorological parameters and the recorded inmision levels. These actions are in line with the HADA Programme (Automatic Tool for Environmental Diagnosis), co-financed by the EEC within the LIFE Environment Programme.
• Optimisation of water consumption in the Port of Cartagena . Due to the maximum awareness with the water shortage that there is in this Region, an Action Plan has been established aimed at minimizing water consumption. This objective always remains present in the planning of new infrastructures and port developments.
• Production control of dangerous waste products, establishing reduction, reuse and recycling systems. Installing specific containers for each type of waste product and contracting its collection and handling to an authorized agent. The basic part of this objective is to include a continuous training and information programme to all the staff concerning the correct waste products management.
• Reduction of the electric power consumption. We are conscious of the high electric power consumption that implies maintaining such a big infrastructure as the Port of Cartagena in optimal security conditions for its users, vessels and workers. This is why new systems are being developed and introduced for consumption reduction in lighting towers, street lighting, service buildings and offices.
• Place plants along the service road that separates the port from the city, in the area of the Neighbourhood of Santa Lucía. This objective is aimed at minimizing the visual impact of the port activity in the city and improving the security conditions in the pedestrian and vehicle traffic. A complete remodelling of the area will take place, including new sidewalks, improved lighting, signposting and plantation of new trees.

• 1. Air Quality.
• 2. Calidad de las aguas.
• 3. Gestión de los residuos.
• 4. Consumo de agua y energía.
• 5. Simulacros y ejercicios realizados.

1. AIR QUALITY

The HADA - LIFE project

On August 2 2002, the European Commission granted a financial aid in accordance with article 4 of the Regulation (EC) nº 1655/2000 of the European Parliament and of the Council (LIFE- Environment) in favour of the HADA-LIFE Project (Automatic Tool for Environmental Diagnosis).

The duration of the Project is three years, from July 2002, until 30 June, 2005.

The financial aid of the European Community is fixed at 39.49% of the total funded cost, up to a maximum of 808.145 €. The total budget for the project amounts to 2,475,940 €, being the most important expense items the purchase of equipment and external assistance, which represent 65% of the total between the two.

The Port Authority of Cartagena participates together with the State Ports (EPPE) and 7 Port Authorities in this Project.

The participation of all the members in this Project was ratified on 8 October 2002, in Madrid , which is one of the most important projects at European level that counts with the help of LIFE.

Objectives of the HADA Project

• Design an air monitoring and quality control system, which measures the meteorological parameters, gas concentrations and suspended or sedimentary particulates in port areas, as well as a noise monitoring and reduction system in these areas.
• Develop a particulate emissions model depending on indicators such as goods handling technologies, meteorology and decanted materials.
• Evaluate, in port environments, a continuous suspended particulate capture model, representative of the laser spectrometer techniques.
• Carry out a cost-benefit analysis of the particle contamination reduction systems.

Tasks assigned to the Port Authority of Cartagena

• Installation of a weather station and a cabin with NOx, SO 2, CO and PM10 monitors.
• Application of a sedimentary particle dispersion model nested in the weather model.
• Implementation of the monitoring and control computer system in the Control Centre.
• Analysis of the mitigation measures.
• Use of noise pollution reduction criteria.
• Project diffusion.

Expected results:

• The application and validation of the Dispersion Models at five ports.
• A particle emissions model of port operations.
• A monitoring and noise reduction model.
• A monitoring and control computer system of the Air Quality in the involved ports and transferable to the different port control centres.
• National and international dissemination of the results. Specifically transferring it for a possible application of the obtained designs in the 28 Spanish Port Authorities.
• Study the Mitigation Measures of particle pollution in port environments, as well as the publication of Good Practices Handbook.

In addition to these actions and within the HADA Project, the Public Entity of State Ports, through the Port Authority of Cartagena signed a Technical and Scientific Collaboration Agreement with the Technical University of Cartagena for the Evaluation of the environmental consequences that may have the recommended action alternatives may have by the decision-making system.

This Agreement, which had a nine months-duration in 2004, has had the aim of a systematic evaluation of the possible environmental consequences derived from the good practices and mitigation measures carried out in the Port Authority of Cartagena, with regard to the recommended actions within the HADA Project.

The main actions carried out have been:

• Installation of two sampling systems: A Graseby Andersen high volume sampler with PM10 inlet and an aspiration capacity of 68 m 3 / h (according to the UNE-EN 1234-1 Regulation) and a sampler for sedimentary particulate matter.
• Daily data measuring of the PM10 levels recorded by the Graseby sampler and monthly measuring of the sedimentary particulate levels.
• Preparation of a detailed technical report with the results and conclusions of the study.

These control and measuring actions of the air quality in the Service Area of the Port of Cartagena , includes the Agreement signed in July 1997 between the Ministry of the Environment, Agriculture and Water, the City Hall of Cartagena and the Port Authority, regarding the maintenance of the atmospheric pollution control network in Cartagena. This Agreement, which has been extended annually until the year 2006, has been financially supported by the Port Authority, by paying part of the expenses generated by the maintenance of the automatic stations of the Control Network of Cartagena and the Surveillance Operating Plan carried out by the regional and local administration.

2. WATER QUALITY

A project has been developed in the Port Authority of Cartagena with regard to the quality control of the Port waters called "Integrated Water Quality Monitoring System Applied to the Port Maritime Sector. Phase I: Description of the Port area" in the Cartagena and Escombreras Basins.

This project was carried out by the Autonomous University of Madrid, and financed by the University and co-financed by the Ministry of Science and Technology (State Technological Politics Office), through the PROFIT Programme (Promotion Programme of Technical Investigation 2000-2003).

The main task of this project has entailed the description and evaluation of the water quality, sediments and benthic invertebrates during 2003 and 2004, taking as reference the specifications of the Water Framework Directive (Directive 2000/60/EC) regarding the establishment of surface water quality indicators, in which the Port Service Area is included.

Four quarterly sampling campaigns have been carried out, collecting 264 samples of water at different depths (40, 20, 10, 5, and 1 m .), sediments and benthic invertebrates. A total of 28 psychochemical parameters have been established and the species of benthic invertebrates present in the area of study have been identified.

The conclusions of this work show that in some areas the quality levels are not fulfilled with regards to the heavy metals in the pelagic medium (this parameter is conditioned by the historical spillages derived from the mining activity of the area), but shows values of the state of the environment very close to the average, for which reason this small improvement could be described as a good environmental status.

Continuing with that improvement approach and water quality control, a permanent cleaning and antipollution fighting service is kept, by means of the "Limpiamar" vessel that cleans the water daily, both in the Cartagena and Escombreras Basins.

In this respect, during the year 2005 a total of 120,400 Kg . were removed from the port waters by the "Limpiamar" vessel, which along with the 87,690 of the year 2003 and the 118,080 of 2004 sum up a total of 326,170 Kg . since the service is in operation.

3. WASTE PRODUCTS HANDLING

Regarding the waste products handling, we must emphasize the installation, during the year 2005, of three waste collection points located in: the Yacht Club of Cartagena, the Fishing Guild and the area for crafts and pleasure boats in El Espalmador managed directly by the Port Authority. With these three waste collection points we manage to handle correctly the dangerous waste materials from sport, pleasure and fishing vessels present in the Port.

The minimum equipment of each waste collection point consists of the appropriate containers for the collection of:

• Used oil
• Batteries
• Containers for used oil
• Motor filters
• Containers contaminated with paint
• Contaminated cloths
• Alkaline batteries

The collection of waste materials from these three waste collection points is paid by the authorized company Cartago Marpol, S.L., which on the other hand, is responsible for the removal and handling of the Marpol waste materials from the vessels and cargo remains in the Port of Cartagena.

Within this sphere of actions, the Port Authority of Cartagena has its own waste collection point located in its Workshop installations (Santa Lucía) where not only can the previous waste materials be delivered but also the following:

• Out of use electric and electronic equipment
• Halogenated solvent
• Button batteries
• Empty grease cans and empty oil cans
• Medical waste products from the Registered Nurse Service
• Inert waste products
• Scrap (metal)
• Out of use tyres
• Used toner and ink cartridge

To these containers we have to add the own ones of the Port Authority, 28 containers for organic garbage, 16 for paper and cardboard and 17 for light and plastic containers which are distributed throughout the offices and the Port Service Area, and that along with the ones installed by the concessionary companies, are making possible substantial improvement in the handling of all the waste products generated in the Port of Cartagena.

On the other hand, during the year 2005, a total of 8,878 tn. of Marpol waste products were received from vessels. This amount is lower than that of 2004, but with a slight increase in the number of services rendered, that has gone from 1,311 in 2004 to 1,628 in 2005.

The amounts collected are summarized in the following table:

It emphasizes particularly the amount of sewage collected in the year 2003, caused by the stay in the Port, of large military vessels belonging to the VI Fleet of the U.S. Navy, specially the aircraft carrier "Theodore Roosevelt" that delivered a total of 8,540 m 3 during a week's stay.

4. WATER AND ENERGY CONSUMPTION

During the year 2005, the water consumption in the port of the general total from both basins has lightly increased 7.44 %, going from 240,610 m 3 (2004) to 258,500 m 3 . This increase has been caused mainly by the increase of the water volume provided to vessels (22.83% more in Cartagena and 101.44% more in Escombreras), as well as an increase in the volume of water provided to concessions in Cartagena, with an increase of 158 % with respect to 2004.

On the other hand, there has been a decrease of consumption in the own installations of the Port Authority of Cartagena (-32.15 %).

This information is summarized in the following tables:

With regards to the electric power consumption, there has been a reduction of the total purchased of 11.74 % with respect to 2004 and a reduction of 25.87 % of the total own consumption.

The consumption of electric power in summarized in the following tables:

5. DRILLS AND EXERCISES CARRIED OUT

On 01/12/05 a fire drill was carried out in the Container Terminal of Santa Lucía, with activation of the Interior Port Emergency Plan, where a fire in a dangerous goods container was simulated. The fire-fighters arrived and extinguished the fire by two means: manually with a water screen and by means of the last truck provided by this Port Authority, specially equipped to fight chemical accidents.

•  We must also emphasize the purchase by this Port Authority, in September 2005, of a protection system against marine pollution, made up of a boom bag (bag for marine transport), 300 metres of cylindrical barrier, 9 anchoring equipments, 2 towing equipments and 2 tide compensators. The main characteristic of this barrier is its quick deployment and easy transportation towing it with any vessel with a minimum of 100 C .V. of optimum power. This barrier was successfully tested in the exercise carried out on 22/11/05. During this exercise, the barrier was towed, deployed and installed in front of Calacortina Beach , located between the two Basins that make up the Port, proving its operating capacity and effectiveness in the event of a possible contaminating spillage that could affect the beach.

Updated in April 2006.